Chynal Lindsey: Body of fourth transgender woman discovered in Dallas amid serial killer fears

Detectives request FBI assistance and call for community vigilance

Chynal Lindsey's body was pulled from White Rock lake on Saturday (Dallas Police)

An African American transgender woman has been found dead in Dallas, causing concern among officials as police investigate a string of similar killings in the Texan city.

Chynal Lindsey’s body was pulled from White Rock lake on Saturday evening. A police spokesperson said it bore ”obvious signs of homicidal violence”.

“We are concerned,” Renee Hall, the city’s police chief said.

“And we are actively and aggressively investigating this case.”

Dallas police had been investigating three similar deaths prior to the 26-year-old’s murder. All the victims are thought to be African-American transgender women.

“Although these cases are not directly related at this time, they do bear some similarities that the public should be made aware,” a police spokesperson said on 20 May.

Detectives discovered the remains of a black transgender woman in a field in July 2017.

The deceased’s cause of death was never determined.

A second woman, Brittany White, was shot to death in a vehicle in the city’s southeast in October 2018.

Muhlaysia Booker, a third transgender woman, was killed last month in Dallas, after being filmed being brutally beaten in a separate attack.

Police were already investigating whether Booker and White’s deaths were linked, before the fourth body was discovered.

On Monday the Dallas police department said it had requested FBI assistance for its investigation.

A fifth black transgender woman was stabbed multiple times in the North Texas city and left for dead in April 2019, detectives said.

“Fortunately, the victim in this case survived her attack and provided detectives with a description of the suspect,” a spokesperson said.

“The detectives are working diligently to determine if there are any connections to the other investigations.”

Ms Hall was asked if a serial killer could be hunting black transgender woman in Dallas at a press conference on Monday.

“Right now we don’t have the evidence to substantiate that,” she said.

“But what we are asking each and every one of our community members is to stay vigilant, to make sure you are aware of your surroundings, make sure your friends and family members know who you are with at all times and let individuals know where you are going.”

An FBI spokesperson said the agency was “prepared to assist” the investigation, if a potential civil rights violation was uncovered.

Additional reporting by agencies